Why TLC / HPTLC?

Wherever complex substance mixtures are analyzed (herbals, environmental analysis, forensic), Planar Chromatography (TLC) is often an excellent alternative to GC and HPLC. Additionally it has proven value as a solid quantitative analysis technique in the quality assurance of food, pharmaceuticals and other industrial products. 

The present-day planar chromatography - HPTLC (High Performance Thin Layer Chromatography) is a highly efficient instrumentalized analytical method. By adhering to the international quality assurance standards it has become a reliable and trustworthy quantitative method which, however, managed to keep its unique advantage of a simple, user-friendly, easily accessible analytical method.

The main advantages of the planar chromatography are:

• It offers extremely broad and simple choice of chromatographic systems
  
• It enables the inspection of all components of the sample (there is no retardation of the components on the column)
  
• It enables a concomitant developing of the samples in different chromatographic systems. CAMAG vario system „vario chamber“ enables a concomitant developing of the same sample on the sample late using six different developing solutions
  
• It is possible to optimize the separation since it is not necessary to take care of the complete elution of the sample; individual components can remain at the start
  
• It enables a simple use of multi-dimensional chromatography
  
• Due to a large number of samples on a plate – up to 72 - the price of routine analyses is fairly low
  
• The analysis of diluted samples is possible
  
• The developed plate can be scanned in various ways. The use of different specific chemical reactions for determination of separated substances is also possible
  
• A state-of-the art equipment for digital data acquisition enables a simple acquisition of raw data and their processing in situ or in any institution worldwide
  
• The off-line preparation of the plate and the sample, the application, developing and estimation offer the possibility to improvise when selecting the equipment, time and place of the performance of individual operations
  
• When performing semi quantitative analysis, the equipment is simple and inexpensive;
  
• It gives numerous information on the possibility of simultaneous developing of the samples and standards.
  

Disadvantages of planar chromatography:

• The efficiency of separation is poorer compared to HPLC
  
• The use of reverse phase is more difficult